Give me also springs of water 2

We in the body of Christ should honour the ministry of the Spirit, and pursue Spiritual gifts

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In a previous blog, we discovered how the newly established state of Israel prioritised the supply and delivery of water to growing communities of settlers across the country. They recognised that in southern desert areas, the annual rainfall was only 100mm, whereas the mountainous region in the north of Israel recorded approximately 1000mm. There were ambitious plans to bring large areas of unproductive land into agricultural production and to provide water for the growing population.

The Water law of 1959 has been a key policy in Israel: ‘The law regulates the matter of water and determines that all water sources in Israel are public property. The ministry is in charge of the water quality and pollution prevention’. So the abundant water in the north belonged to everyone in the Israel. These considerations led to the development of the National Water Carrier (NWC) infrastructure, including pumping stations, purification plants reservoirs and pipework.

For many decades, water from Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) flowed through the NWC to supply the local population. But there were increasing concerns about the decreasing water level in the Lake. The red line signalled that action was needed to prevent the level descending to the black line. At this point there would be permanent ecological damage. Hence with intermittent rainfall, two generations of Israelis grew up with water scarcity and trained in water conservation.

Israel, as with all the Middle East, have been faced with the challenge of increasing the efficiency of water utilisation and looking for other sources of water. The national water company in Israel, Mekarot, has continually improved the recycling facilities, with the recycled water being utilised for agricultural irrigation. Today they estimate that 90% of water is recycled, being the highest rate in the world. Similarly, Israeli irrigation technology is recognised as the most efficient in desert climates, it is exported to many African countries.

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However, the need for more water finally prompted the construction of 5 large desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast with others planned. These are linked with a New Water Carrier system, with a pipe diameter of approx. 2.5m. The plants are desalinating sea water by a process called reverse osmosis, and then pumping the fresh water to supply much of the national municipal water. Water is even being pumped into Lake Kinneret to maintain its water level. The desalination plants are also taking brackish water from aquifers and steadily improving the quality of underground reserves. The capacity of the new system means that it can supply the water to Jordan, as well as meeting increasing demand over the next decades. Before our very eyes, there has been a sea change!

And so, some brief reflections on this:

If we think of those living in Israel as a picture of those who have come to trust and share in Christ as saviour, then the land and its people represent the body of Christ. Everyone has spiritual gifts to help the body grow. All are invited to drink from the life-giving Spirit. Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 12:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

When water is scarce it is precious and requires careful stewardship, but it has resulted in remarkable technological innovation and a determination to meet the needs of the population. Its a reminder that we in the body of Christ should honour the ministry of the Spirit, and pursue Spiritual gifts as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 14: Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy…So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

Finally, let’s consider desalination, which has completely changed the water equation in Israel. It has been realised after decades of research and at a tremendous financial cost. As I think of the fresh water being pumped eastwards into Lake Kinneret, I’m reminded of Ezekiel 47 where the prophet sees a river flowing east from the throne in Jerusalem

And he said to me, “This water flows towards the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.

What a picture of the Spirit being poured out on all flesh, prophesied in the Old and New Testament:

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams".

Author: Richard Windridge

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